Method of forming a palletized container



METHOD OF FORMING A PALLETIZED CONTAINER l Jan. 1, 1963 L. J. BUDD 3,071,045

Original Filed Oct. 15,-1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Kari f Budd A ORNE YS Jan. 1, 1963 L. J BUDD 3,071,045

METHOD OF FORMING A PALLETIZED CONTAINER Original Filed 001;. 13, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H o l i) H m 2 5% H i V i L? "H MI I l I A INVENTOR. larry J' Budd A TTORNE YS Unite Claims. (Cl. 93-1) This application is a division of my application Serial No. 62,439, filed October 13, 1960.

The present invention relates to an enclosure for the storage of articles. The present invention more particularly concerns a palletized paperboard container which is adapted to contain cranberries and other vegetables, fruits, and the like which container has means through which coolant may be flowed so that the contents of the container may be quickly frozen.

In the past it has been practically impossible to freeze cranberries, vegetables, fruits and other similar articles when carried in bulk within a paperboard container. The reason for this is that paperboard or fiberboard is an excellent insulator and even though the temperature may be dropped to 30 to 40 below zero it is extremely difficult if not impossible to freeze the contents of the container.

The present invention concerns a new corrugated box in which cranberries and the like may be packed in bulk and then quickly frozen by passing streams of coolant through the corrugated box and which coolant may have a temperature such as 30 to 40 below zero.

According to the present invention, the container has legs and the bottom carries a series of tubular shafts which extend between the bottom and the top of the container. Each of the shafts overlies a bottom vent disposed in-the bottom of the container. The shafts also have a series of shaft vents which are disposed along the length of the shafts. The side walls of the containers also have side wall vents. The coolant is adapted to be circulated between the legs into the bottom vents and then into the tubular shafts whereupon the fluid passes through myriads of shaft vents and engages the contents of the container to freeze the contents and the coolant then passes out through the side wall vents to the atmosphere.

An important object of the invention is to provide a corrugated box in which goods such as cranberries, peas, carrots, corn and the like all may be carried in bulk within the container and quickly frozen in order to preserve the contents of the container.

States Patent Still another object of the present invention is to provide a ventilated type of container which may be quickly filled with goods to be ventilated without interfering with the ventilating means.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a low cost type of ventilated enclosure in which goods may be stored.

According to the general features of the present invention there is provided a correct quick freeze palletized paperboard container which comprises an enclosure having its wall provided with wall vents and its bottom pro- I The bottom also has a series of vided with spaced legs. spaced bottom vents and tubular shafts are mounted on the bottom in the enclosure over the bottom vents. The shafts have shaft vents through which freezing air may pass through the bottom vents up into the tubular shafts out through the shaft vents to freeze the contents of the Patented Jan. 1, 1963 about each of the bottom vents on the opposite sides of the material turned away from the bottom. The tubular shafts are telescoped over the tubular shaft supports so that the shafts are carried by the bottom on the shafts in an upright position within the enclosure.

Other objects and features of the present invention will more fully become apparent in view of the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings illustrating a single embodiment and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a palletized corrugated or paperboard container according to features of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the container with parts broken away to show the relationship of its components;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the blank which is used in the formation of a base for the container;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a blank used to form a side wall structure for the container;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view showing substantially on the line V-V in FIGURE 3 showing the manner in which the columns are supported within the container or enclosure; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line VIVI in FIG- URE 5.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 10 indicates generally a quick freeze palletized corrugated paperboard container. The palletized container 10 includes a container or enclosure 11 mounted on a plurality of spaced legs 12. The'container or enclosure 11 further includes a top cap member or dished cap 13, a bottom cap member or dished member or pallet 14, and a rectangular wall structure 15. The wall structure 15 is telescoped Within the cap members 13 and 14 when the components are in'assembly together.

The cap member 13 includes a top 17 and top flaps 18-21, inclusive. The top flaps 19 and 21 have top end flaps 1912-1912 and 21a21a. The flaps 18-21, inclusive are bent relative to the top 17 at fold or score lines 22-25, inclusive. The end flaps 19a-19a and 21a21a are secured to the top flaps 18 and 20 by suitable fasteners such as rivets indicated at 25 to thereby form the top cap member 13. The blank used to form the cap member 13 is identical to the blank used to form the bottom cap member 14, as illustrated in FIGURE 3.

The blank used to form the wall structure 15 is illustrated in FIGURE 4 and includes side walls and an end flap identified at 26-30, inclusive. The side walls and the end flap 30 are bent relative to one another along the vertical side wall fold lines 31-34, inclusive. When the side walls are folded along the fold lines 31-34, the end flap 30 is adapted to be secured tothe wall 26 by any suitable means such as rivets 35 to thereby form a rectangular wall structure. Carried at the upper ends of the side walls 26-29 are a series of upper end wall flaps 36-39, inclusive. These flaps are foldable relative to the side walls along fold lines 40-43, inclusive. Disposed along the bottom edges of the side walls 26-29 are a series of lower side wall flaps 44-47, inclusive which are also foldable relative to the side walls along the fold lines 48-51, inclusive.

In FIGURE 3 is shown the blank for forming the bottom cap member or base 14. The base 14 includes a bottom 52 and a series of bottom flaps 53-56, inclusive which are foldable along the fold lines 57-60, inclusive, so as tobe capable of being turned generally at right angles to the bottom 52. The bottom fiaps 54 and 56 are provided with bottom flap end portions 54a54a and 56a-56a. These flaps are adapted to be turned about the corners of the bottom 52 and secured by any suitable means such as rivets 61 to the bottom flaps 53 and 55 to thereby form the base member 14.

The pallet 14 includes the legs 12 and these legs are formed by providing the bottom with cut leg areas 62 which each include a series of triangular fiaps 63, where a circular type of make is to be used. The triangular leg segments 63 are turned vertically below the bottom 52 and inner and outer annular leg members 64 and 65 are disposed on opposite sides of the segments 63 and are secured in assembly together by any suitable means such as glue, rivets, and the like. The legs are arranged in rows and the legs are spaced from one another a suitable distance so that the prongs of a lift truck may be moved between the legs to facilitate handling of the palletized container 10.

According to the features of the present invention, the bottom 52 is also provided with a series of vents 66. Each of the vents, as illustrated, comprises a cut-out area which is defined by a series of triangular segments 67. These segments are turned upwardly from the bottom 52 in the opposite direction with respect to the leg segments 62. Shaft or columns support means indicated generally at 68 is secured to the vent segments 67 by any suitable means such as glue or rivets and the like. The shaft support means 68 comprises inner and outer annular shaft support members 69 and 70 which are disposed radially opposite sides of the segments 67.

Secured upon the shaft support means 68 are a series of tubular shafts or columns indicated generally at 71. These columns or shafts 71 have a series of circumferentially and vertically spaced column or shaft vents '72 disposed along the length of the shafts.

When it is desired to fill the palletized container 10, the top cap 13 is removed and the shafts 71 are engaged with the support means 68 so that the shafts 71 aredisposed in upright relation with respect to the bottom 52. The goods to be stored within the container are then poured into the container about the vertical upright shafts or columns 71 and the cap is then replaced on the wall structure 15. The palletized container may then be placed into a freezer so that freezing coolant having a temperature such as 30 to 40 degrees below zero may be caused to flow through the bottom vents 66 into the shafts 71 whereupon the main streams of coolant are broken up into myriads of small streams and passed through the shaft passageways 72 to quickly freeze the contents of the container or enclosure. The coolant passes through the contents of the container and then out through side walls at 73 to the atmosphere. Any suitable number of side wall vents 73 may be provided such as 240 vents on each side wall. It will be noted there are no vents to atmosphere at the bottom or the top ofcontainer or enclosure. It will further be noted that when the cover 13 is mounted on the-container that its wall 17 engages the top of the shafts or columns or posts 71 so as to further stabilize the posts 71.

When the wall structure is folded to shape, the flaps 36-39, inclusive, are turned at right angles relative to the side walls 26-29, inclusive and are disposed in lapped relation with respect to one another for abutment against the cap wall 17. Similarly, the bottom flaps 44-47, inclusive, are turned at right angles with respect to the side walls 26-29, inclusive and are engaged with the bottom 52 of the pallet member 14. The edges of the flaps 44-47, inclusive, have been designated by phantom line'74, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 5. It will be appreciated these flaps are adapted to lap the leg slit areas and act as closure elements to prevent the contents of the box from discharging through the openings to atmosphere defined by the legs 12. Since these flaps 44-47, inclusive, only cover the peripheral leg holes and not the central leg holes, a pad of paperboard or corrugated material 75 is provided and adapted to be superimposed on top of the flaps 44-47, inclusive, as shown in FIG- URE 5. The pad or closure elements 75 has column holes 76 in it enabling the pad to be moved over the columns 71 with the columns being adapted to pass through the holes 76. Any suitable number of columns may be provided and it will be noted the illustrated container has four such columns, as shown in FIGURE 3. In order to illustrate the peripheral outline of the pad 75, a phantom line designated by the numerals 75 is illustrated in FIGURE 3 for this purpose.

The enclosure or container 11 may be made from any suitable materials such as double wall corrugated board capable of withstanding a 350 pound test. The tubular shafts or columns 71 may be comprised of spiral wound fibers and be of a A; inch thickness. As illustrated, the support means 68 and more particularly the outer annular support means 68 and more particularly the outer annular support member 70 has avertical height which is approximately of the height of the shaft 71. It will be appreciated the shaft means 68 must be of a sufficient height so as to prevent the shaft 71 from being knocked over when the enclosure is being filled with the goods to be stored.

The container shown in FIGURE 1 may be loaded with at least several hundred pounds of food products such as peas, cranberries, and the like and quickly frozen to preserve the food value of the food product. It is now possible for the food handler to more effectively preserve the vitamins in the food product by bulk freezing them in the paperboard container. By passing streams of freezing coolant through the container 10, as previously described, it is now possible to quickly freeze the contents of a paperboard container despite the excellent insulating quality of paperboard which has in the past prevented this practice.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected Without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a method of forming a palletized paperboard container, the steps of attaching a series of tubular legs to a container bottom each opening interiorly of the container, forming coolant inlets on a container bottom and coolant outlets in a container side walls, placing a closure plate on the container bottom which blocks coolant flow through the openings defined by the tubular legs without blocking the coolant inlets, forming tubular posts having ports along its length and securing the posts over the coolant inlets in communication therewith, and closing the upper ends of the tubular posts whereby streams of freezing coolant may pass between the tubular legs and then vertically through the bottom of the container into the tubular posts out through the post ports through the coolant outlets in the container walls.

2. In a method of forming a palletized paperboard container, the steps of attaching a series of legs to a container bottom each opening interiorly of the container, forming coolant inlets on a container bottom and coolant outlets in a container side Walls, forming tubular posts having ports along its length and securing the posts over the coolant inlets in communication therewith, and closing the upper ends of the tubular posts whereby streams of freezing coolant may pass between the legs and then vertically through the bottom of the container into the tubular posts out through the post ports through the coolant outlets in the container walls.

3. In a method of forming a palletized paperboard container, the steps of'attaching a series of legs to a container bottom each opening interiorly of the container, forming coolant inlets on a container bottom and coolant outlets in a container side walls, turning up bottom portions about the coolant inlets, forming tubular posts having ports along its length and securing the posts with the portions turned up in overlying relation with respect to the coolant inlets in communication therewith, and closing the upper ends of the tubular posts whereby streams of freezing coolant may pass between the legs and then ver- 5 tically through the bottom of the container into the tubular posts out through the post ports through the coolant outlets in the container walls.

4. In a method of forming a palletized paperboard container, the steps of attaching a series of legs to a container bottom each opening interiorly of the container, forming coolant inlets on a container bottom and coolant outlets in a container side walls, forming tubular posts having ports along its length and turning up bottom portions about the coolant inlets and securing support shafts thereto and then telescoping and securing the tubular posts and support shafts in assembly together, and closing the upper ends of the tubular posts whereby streams of freezing coolant may pass between the legs and then vertically through the bottom of the container into the tubular posts out through the post ports through the coolant outlets in the container walls.

5. The method of claim 4 further characterized by placing a closure plate on top of the support legs preventing material from flowing out of the container through holes in the legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A METHOD OF FORMING A PALLETIZED PAPERBOARD CONTAINER, THE STEPS OF ATTACHING A SERIES OF TUBULAR LEGS TO A CONTAINER BOTTOM EACH OPENING INTERIORLY OF THE CONTAINER, FORMING COOLANT INLETS ON A CONTAINER BOTTOM AND COOLANT OUTLETS IN A CONTAINER SIDE WALLS, PLACING A CLOSURE PLATE ON THE CONTAINER BOTTOM WHICH BLOCKS COOLANT FLOW THROUGH THE OPENINGS DEFINED BY THE TUBULAR LEGS WITHOUT BLOCKING THE COOLANT INLETS, FORMING TUBULAR POSTS HAVING PORTS ALONG ITS LENGTH AND SECURING THE POSTS OVER THE COOLANT INLETS IN COMMUNICATION THEREWITH, AND CLOSING THE UPPER END OF THE TUBULAR POSTS WHEREBY STREAMS OF FREEZING COOLANT MAY PASS BETWEEN THE TUBULAR LEGS AND THEN VERTICALLY THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER INTO THE TUBULAR POST OUT THROUGH THE POST PORTS THROUGH THE COOLANT OUTLETS IN THE CONTAINER WALLS. 